House.
Genre: Poetry Anthology
Grade Level: Pre-K-5
Summary: The Random House collection of poems is an excellent compilation of some of the most well-known poems for children. It includes the traditional childhood poems that have been around for decades, along with many contemporary poems, to please both the young and old reader alike. Poets include A.A. Milne, Shel Silverstein, Langston Hughes, and Christina Rossetti, along with numerous others. The book is neatly divided into different sections, from poems about nature to poems about the city. In the back of the book, there is an index of titles, first lines, authors, and a subject index that makes finding any particular poem particularly easy.
Reflection: Caldecott Medal winner Arnold Lobel provides surreal soft black-and-white and color illustrations that depict, and also give new dimensions to, the poems in this collection. This book could be used in the classroom to model different elements of poetry. For example, “Ooodles of Noodles” by Lucia and James L. Hymes, Jr. could be used to show use of assonance. “Sunrise” by Frank Asch could be used to show use of similies in poetry. The poems could be used to teach sounds of letters in the alphabet, phonics, or reading strategies such as Word in a Word. (Click link and scroll down for a PDF version of Word in a Word). Individual poems could also be used as a complement to a story that is being read in class. The poem “Train Song” by Diane Siebert could be used in conjunction with the book Freight Train by Donald Crews. There are poems that children will be able to connect to based on their real-life experiences from either being outside playing, to family life, to the holidays, to something they have imagined (like monsters). Children could draw illustrations to match the “picture” a poem makes. Thoughtful questions for students could be: What element of poetry do you think the writer used in this poem? What did you like or dislike about the poem? Is there anything you need help understanding that maybe didn't make sense? Children and adults alike will enjoy this excellent collection of poems selected by Jack Prelutsky, a popular children’s poet himself. This book is highly recommended.
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